The art of managing metallic ions in food products has received much attention by the food industry. Metallic ions of iron, copper and zinc can be present in some food products with adverse effects on food integrity. If they are allowed to remain in some food products even in low concentrations, such metallic ions can greatly reduce shelf life of some fats, oils and other foods that are subject to spoiling and oxidization. However, that Zn.sup.2+ ions must be present in some medicinal oral compositions is new and is of importance in compositions intended for use in common cold treatment. Such application presents problems in preserving a pleasant taste of said compositions.